1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to devices for protecting the sides of vehicle bodies from damage and more particularly pertains to a new vehicle body side protector for protecting the side of a vehicle bodies from damage.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of devices for protecting the sides of vehicle bodies from damage is known in the prior art. More specifically, devices for protecting the sides of vehicle bodies from damage heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art includes U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,407; U.S. Pat. No. 5,312,145; U.S. Pat. No. 3,367,702; U.S. Pat. No. 4,014,583; U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,446; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,758.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new vehicle body side protector. The inventive device includes a row of panels having a pair of opposite end panels and at least one middle panel interposed between the end panels. Each of the panels is pivotally coupled to the adjacent panels in the row of panels. The row of panels is detachably mounted to a side of a vehicle to protect the side of the vehicle from dent and ding damage.
In these respects, the vehicle body side protector according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of protecting the side of a vehicle bodies from damage.